STATE OF THE MEDIA IN ZAMBA the knowledge of the depositors”20 And ZICTA during the period under review announced that it had set plans to filter out abusive tweets and suspend cyber bullies. ZICTA manager for consumer production and compliance Edgar Mulauzi said that cyber bullying on social media had reached alarming levels and it was time it was brought to an end. Mr. Mulauzi said that is was for this reason that ZICTA had started investigating people being abused on Zed Hule and Zed Kawalala blogs. “We have now engaged the service providers and working on blacklisting some numbers. We are also working with the Zambia Police and Face book owners and investigating people being abused on Zed Hule and Zed Kawalala by administrators who have created such blogs”.21 And the Daily Mail Newspaper in its editorial comments called for stiffened laws on cyber crime. The newspaper through its editorial comments on Tuesday 16th May 2017 said the proposed four Bills aimed at protecting citizens from cybercrime could not have come at a better time. The Daily Nation charged that for some time now people have been complaining about the abuse of the new mode of communication, which has come as both a blessing and a curse. The newspaper acknowledged the fact that social media was indeed the fastest way of communication and an effective tool for social mobilization and information sharing, but in Zambia social media has become more of a curse than a blessing. “We applaud the Ministry of Transport and Communication for coming up with the four Bills, which will be used to control and punish the abuse of social media”.22 The Zambia Daily mail pointed out that some online publications have been allowing uncensored comments in which innocent people, including those in national leadership, are targets of the vilest insults. The newspaper suggested that some of the comments on some online publications were in fact outright incitement to crime and in normal circumstances the perpetrators would be arrested and prosecuted, but the perpetrators feel protected because they remained anonymous. The newspaper welcomed the announcement made in parliament by Transport and Communication Minister Brian Mushimba that in the next sitting, Parliament will table the Cyber Crime Bill, 20 Sunday Times of Zambia 18th June, 2017 21 Daily Nation 30 June, 2017 22 Zambia Daily Mail 16th June, 2017 24 | P a g e